Well this just blew my mind lol. I was your son! When I was a small boy maybe 3 or 4, a big storm was approaching. I was out in the back yard and my mother was bringing in the garbage. The way my back yard worked was you went down a hill past one other home, then there was a large lot, a street and then another hill up and that was my grandmother's back yard. I am told I would stand in the back yard and wait for my grandma to come home from work and wait to wave to her. On this particular day, which I don't recall other than I do have a faint memory of standing in the yard with the storm coming and seeing my grandma in the yard, a large gust of wind came along and picked me up and threw me over the hill. My grandmother came running for me. From that moment on I was terrified of storms. Especially ones that would come in the night. I would stay up all night long with all bedroom lights on and hidden under my covers. This lasted for many many years. My biggest fear became tornadoes. I would have so many nightmares about them. Many many years later, after my first daughter was born (the one who passed away at 18 months for those who know) I had been away from the church since I was a child. It was Ash Wednesday 2005 that she was really sick, so I stayed home from the work. I felt this overwhelming urge to go to church for the first time on a day other than Christmas or Easter. The closest church was a relatively new one maybe a half mile from me, St. Barbara. I walked into this church and they didn't even have pews yet. There were just folding chairs. The people there were so loving, wonderful, humble and poor. I fell in love with this church and the people. This was the great start to my coming back to the faith. Sadly the fire and love for this church burned out within a year and I was seduced by the New Age world for some time, but this was the start. I just find it amazing that my fears then my love were both surrounded by all this time St. Barbara. St. Barbara Church is currently my parish today. I love this church so much and never want to go to another. The people, the priest and now I understand why, because St. Barbara has always been by my side helping me with my fears of storms and ultimately bringing me love of God and church again. Thank you St. Barbara!!!
In my prayers, Sidney Poitier has passed away, I'm just hearing about this. They certainly use to make a lot of fine movies, a real landmark movie, this one.
I’m going to recommend this movie. “Deliver us from Evil.” The film is actually based on a true story. Yes, it’s quite strong and suspenseful, but it’s very well done. It’s a fascinating story. And one that wakes many who just don’t believe in evil. Especially those who were so eager to send our soldiers to these Middle East wars.
IMHO, the Gospel of Matthew portrayed in a unique way but it takes from the Gospel. Many have seen this previously. Italian made. Some say this may be one of the truest to the Biblical. depictions of Christ. https://tubitv.com/movies/286181/gospel-according-to-st-matthew?start=true This is the Pasolini version, he was an eccentric director. The Christ figure in it, is something to behold, all imho. I do like it and I wasn't aware of it, from the 1960s, 1965. Youtube also has some of this but I think they have the original Italian version, I'm not sure if they have English subtitles. There is nothing like it, I would not say it is offensive in any sense either. It's not a glitzy production like "King of Kings", it doesn't take liberty with the story say like "The Greatest Story Ever Told", etc. etc.
Per above, see link, "The Gospel according to St. Matthew", it made the Vatican's list of top 15 religious movies, an A+, so you can't get a better rating. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) - Decent Films On the director Pasolini: In 1962 he came to Assisi in response to Pope John XXIII’s call for dialogue with non-Christian artists. While there, he read through a book of the Gospels "from beginning to end, like a novel," later proclaiming the story of Jesus "the most exalting thing one can read." As a result of this experience, Pasolini became consumed with the notion of filming the life of Christ straight from one of the Gospels, shooting without a screenplay and taking no editorial license with the text. After completing The Gospel According to Matthew, he dedicated it "to the dear happy familiar memory of John XXIII." I know Luke's gospel or John's are many people's favorite. I read Matthew in depth last year and found it overpowering actually. So, suffice it to say, all 4 gospels are great. Decent films also did review "Silence", they liked it. A. To other, apparently in the 1950s, Father Peyton helped get a "Life of Christ: The Savior" released, EWTN showed it in the last month. Actually, it's pretty good. My friend clued me in that she watches some of these movies like the "Passion of the Christ" and says the rosary to it. Sounds good to me. LIFE OF CHRIST - SAVIOR DVD | EWTN Religious Catalogue LIFE OF CHRIST - SAVIOR DVD In the 1950's Father Peyton took on a massive film project to portray the life of Christ. These films were seen around the world and were the first films many in Latin America ever saw. With impressive cinematography, set and costume design, the entire Life of Christ series includes three DVDs (Please see item #14D). This DVD, "The Savior", dramatically portrays Christ's early life. Filmed in color and re-mastered for DVD with English and Spanish tracks. So, Father Peyton did well in this endeavor, I haven't seen the other two volumes. Relatively inexpensive and the money would go to EWTN, should I decide to get this. Make sure one would get all 3 DVDs for only $24, 90 minutes each... not purchasing one singularly. These are actually very good watching.
The 1978 film, "Pilgrim's Progress" filmed in Northern Ireland has Liam Neeson in it. One of his first films if not his first. Liam Neeson - IMDb Watch Pilgrim's Progress (1978) (1978) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) Directed by Ken Anderson - IMDb who also did "In His Steps" (1964) (Anderson hailed from Rembrandt, Iowa) which I think, the book at least, is great, the movie brings the book to the silver screen. I think the message of the book is there. Maybe some might opine the movie is not that strong. Watch In His Steps (1964) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) I find something very comforting on a Christian level, entertainment value, about many of these kinds of movies. Watch Light Up Night (2020) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) Book of Ruth, it's alright as more light-hearted viewing. The co-star looks so much like a younger Shirley MacLane to me. Watch Amazing Love: The Story of Hosea (2012) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) Hosea along with Habukkuk are greatly under-rated Old Testament books for me. All of these are a little over an hour, around an hour. So, they don't take that much time.
Not a Catholic movie but a great yarn. 1947 movie Green Dolphin Street. I've always loved this scene because she quotes - St Augustine?-'I was swept up to Thee by Thy Beauty'
Disclaimer first, yes, this movie has an "R" rating and it probably is deserved. I don't want to lead anyone into the proverbial, "give rise to the occasion to sin", with that said... Ultimately, this movie became very moving, very memorable. I saw "Dances with Wolves" but I don't remember much of the main character's interactions with the natives though, this movie is compared to "Dances". Free viewing: Watch Black Robe (1991) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) One can read up on what one critic calls a goof in the movie, Black Robe (1991) - IMDb but as to the whole motion picture, not terribly important. Maybe some have seen it. I'll definitely see this again, what a nice surprise. Apparently, Brian Moore (novelist) - Wikipedia wrote this, may have been a fallen away Catholic, anti-Catholic (one review seemed to say), not sure but I think overall, it's pretty good. A book I may try to read some time.
This is a wonderful thread, thank you everyone for your posts and thoughts. + My husband and I recently watched a TV series in which the main characters traveled back in time. It was very well done and I would suggest it to you all as a learning tool for middle school students except for the fact that they included a lot of the current secular values that have been accepted by a lot of our society today, unfortunately. Anyway, I thought how wonderful it would be for a movie to be made which includes about 4-5 popular saints along with a group of MS students who would somehow visit them back in the time that they lived, at crucial moments in time. As a result, I decided to look for short videos of saints and I came upon the following YouTube channel which contains short cartoons of saints for younger children, of course, maybe pre-K to 3rd grade idk for sure. Here is a link to this channel for those with younger children. I hope that you like it and if you don't, I apologize.) https://www.youtube.com/c/ChristianKidsTV/videos + Here is their video about Saint Padre Pio, as an example.
One has so many Fatima films, I did not think this would be anything unique, the 2nd half hour really addresses the Consecration of Russia, founder John Haffert, the Blue Army, very historic. This turned out to be very good and even reminding us that the bullet that struck the Pontiff that day is in the crown of the statue in Fatima. To watch, free, less than an hour long: Watch Fatima: A Message of Hope (2016) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) This movie says Pope John Paul II asked Lucia if the consecration was done correctly and She said Heaven accepts it. His life was spared that day. Hard to negate this though, some do. This was good, put out by the World Apostolate of Fatima, formerly the Blue Army or perhaps, known as well as the Blue Army, it relates some of it's formation just after World War II. And they also have this movie with English subtitles: Watch Fátima: The Ultimate Mystery (2017) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) And the live view of the Fatima Shrine in Portugal:
These two are not Catholic movies but I think that you may like them. They helped protect the baby and brought him to safety but the baby also saves John Wayne's character. And I just watched the next one today. The story comes from a John Steinbeck novel. I think that the dog lovers here might really like this movie.
LIKE!! On your suggestion, I started reading this on Christmas day, 25 minutes prior to starting to read it, our pastor told us some story where he worked as a hospital chaplain in Urbana Illinois and sure enough, I started reading and the book read that Dorothy Day attended the Univ. of Illinois in Urbana. We have a Dorothy Day center; I was at the Catholic Worker website and most states have multiple-outreaches connected to Dorothy Day. I'm not vouching against for the leftist National Catholic Repoter but they have this article: Links: Dorothy Day's canonization controversies; money in politics; smog over the Olympics | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org) Based on the NY Times having this article, click the "immersive reader" icon in the URL box on firefox if one is not able to access the whole article. It sounds like Cardinal John O'Connor started the ball rolling into looking at whether Dorothy Day should become a candidate for Saint. Cardinal O'Connor was a solid pro-lifer, He even found the Sisters of Life, so I think the world of the late Cardinal O'Connor, he was also something like Bishop of the Navy, I'm sorry, the exact term escapes me but something like that and that is very honorable. Article: Was Dorothy Day Too Left-Wing to Be a Catholic Saint? - The New York Times (nytimes.com) Was Dorothy Day Too Left-Wing to Be a Catholic Saint? The Archdiocese of New York has asked the Vatican to consider the social activist for sainthood. But church leaders are not entirely comfortable with her politics. The Roman Catholic Church is considering sainthood for Dorothy Day, the writer and left-wing activist. Would she even want it? Credit...John Orris/The New York Times Hundreds of people gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to celebrate an important moment for Catholics in New York. Cardinal Timothy Dolan delivered a homily on the life of one of their own, Dorothy Day, a native New Yorker and anarchist writer and activist who died in 1980. The sermon last month represented the end of a 20-year inquiry by the Archdiocese of New York on whether Ms. Day should receive sainthood, a question the Vatican will ultimately decide. From article, Dorothy Day protesting US becoming involved in World War I, which a number of people I meet today, agree with actually. I also read an article where the author admired Day for her work with the poor but the author went on to say if you saw some of the internal memorandum for her Catholic Worker organization, despite all that Dorothy said about Communism not being compatible with Catholicism, her memos sure seemed far out. Anyway, that little bit. And, yes, that is some book.... she was some woman alright. If they can designate miracles to her intercession, there is not much one can do to deny her sainthood I suppose.
I agree that Dorothy Day was the "real deal". And her biography was wonderful. My quote to which you responded however was for Alice Von Hildebrand--a spiritual giant IMHO.
Ann, The other one is Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat. I think that you will like it also. I really like Frank Morgan and the scene with him and his dogs amongst the Sequoias while he is praying to Saint Francis, it is just so sweet. I just found the scene- I like these awakening type of movies, plus "It Happened on Fifth Avenue" is sweet too. I meant to watch this next one this past December because it has been awhile since I have seen it and I remember it being good but again not religious if my memory serves me correctly but sort of a divine intervention performed by 3 ghosts. Plus, I found it online for those here that like old movies.
I just discovered It Happened on Fifth Avenue this year! Delightful movie. Beyond Tomorrow is very sweet also. The St Francis scene is WONDERFUL. I loved it.
What would one think of a movie this was written about? This film was so positively received that it is said to have saved babies, who would have otherwise been aborted. Hundreds of babies are alive today, thanks to this film—many of whom are named Bella. It was a good one. The 3 Best Pro-Life Movies (prolife365.com) I'd think I'd want to see it though, I didn't find it that strong but that's just me. Good acting, good ending. A bit slow but free viewing. Free of politics and preaching basically. Watch Bella (2007) - Free Movies | Tubi (tubitv.com) Very short, acclaimed pro-life movie. Crescendo, 15 minutes. Crescendo - YouTube Pro-life film 'Crescendo' could impact millions | Baptist Press ----------- I see this Tammy Blanchard from "Bella" is in another movie at that website, "Amish Grace", it seems a bit like a lifetime movie.
